Autoalert : Peugeot 408 gets out of shape!

Peugeot was doing great launching beautifully design cars which accentuates French Sexiness until this came along. It seems the designers have taken the wide & large grille thing way to far and damn the next generation 408's front fascia to look like a sucker fish. The rear has hints of the Astra too.The headlamp looks sharp & fine but the front bumper has Kia Optima/Lotze influence in it. According to Autoexpress the radical design of the 408 was meant to rival that of Mondeo's & Insignia. They added that sportiness is the theme for this generation. Currently there are no pictures available on the interior yet but French automaker promises a big leap in interior quality which will see he head-up display seen on the new 3008 to be included. The next generation of 408 will be sharing the same platform as the latest Citroen C5 which means the Hydropneumatic suspension might be thrown in as well. Expect a range advance efficient diesels to be found under the hood when the car hits the showroom in 2011. Development of a diesel-electric hybrid is in the pipeline as well, naturally.



Source : Autoexpress

AutoAlert : Suzuki Kizashi unveiled

Suzuki have officially launched its flagship sedan call the Kizashi but what dreads me the most is how a car that suppose to look something like this :
has been degraded into a boring looking metal on wheels.

Suzuki 's flagship (this word seems to be out of place in this article) sedan is nothing more than an upsize suzuki SX4 sedan with better looking projector head lamps and tail lamp to complement the car. Having said that, the only side of the car that looks 'premium' to me is the rear which hints Toyota Mark X and the older BMW 5-series. The interior lacks both the looks & 'luxurious touch' associated with a flagship model. The design of the dashboard looks like an after taught with questionable materials used as finishing.

Now looks aside, lets browse through the techical bits that this vehicle possess. Under the hood, you will find an all aluminium 2.4-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine connected to either a six-speed manual transmission or Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that claims to offer better fuel economy.

To keep drivers and passengers safe Suzuki has included standard eight airbags, Electronic Stability Program (ESP®)4, an anti-lock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution , a tire pressure monitoring system & what Suzuki calls 'synergetic vehicle dynamic control' that helps the car's four wheels stick to the tarmac. There is an option to equipped your car with some off-road capabilities by having i-AWD system bundle in together with your Kizashi. The system helps with traction control with torque distribution being governed by wheel slippage and throttle input. If suzuki is really serious in trying to gain respect in this segment, they have to give the Kizashi a major overhaul. Until then we will still be waiting for "something great" to come.

Source : Suzuki via Carscoop

AutoAlert : Kia VG Official Sketch Released

Set to replace the aging Amanti, the Kia VG will be available with a 2.4L Theta II 4-cylinder or a 3.5L Lambda II V6 under the hood. This luxury vehicle will share the same platform with Hyundai Grandeur/Azera which unfortunately now looks dated & tired. The Kia gave the VG a very modern design to further strenghten their presence in the Luxury sedan segment. The US will probably get the car in the first quarter of

2010 after the Korean release in November 2009.

The Following pictures are taken from the Seoul International Motorshow earlier in April 2009.

Related Article : 2010 Kia Cee'd Facelift

Source : Kia via Thecarblogger

AutoAlert : The 2010 Saab 9-5

"It is easier to find a Moose in a German forest than to spot a Saab in Deutchland" according to Autobild. The 2010 9-5 will be the first model to debut under the stewardship of Saab's new owner Koenigsegg sports car. The fact that the car shares certain 'DNA' with the Opel Insignia isn't a surprising fact at all as the model was developed when Saab was still own by GM. Now what separates the Saab from all its GM cousin is the fact that it is 5.01 meters long thus putting it on Par with the Mercedes S Class. In comparison to its predecessor the upcoming 9-5 wheelbase grew by 13 cm to 2.84 meters.

The exterior design stays true to Saab's design language from the large trapezoidal grill to the chrome linings around the front headlights complete with LEDs. The indicator light located on the side mirror is darken in order to blend with the overall design.

The cockpit design is typically Saab with strong influence from its cousin the Insignia & Astra. Saab's signature mesh type air-cond vents still graces the dashboard. (personally I never like it ) The crown jewel of the dashboard has to be the 8-inch Panasonic navigation system with touch screen technology complemented by the Harman Kardon sound system. As always there is 3 equipment level offered by Saab starting with the Linear and topping off with Aero Hot. The Boot is able to swallow up to 513 liters of luggage.

Expected range of petrol engines kicks off with the 160ps 1.6liter turbocharged unit and goes all the way to 300ps 2.8liter V6 with 2 diesel power plants (2.0liter - 160hp & 2.0 liter - 190hp). Indications for the asking price for Saab's new flagship should be around 34000 Euros.

Source: Autobild

AutoAlert : JDM Lexus HS250h

The Japanese version of the HS250 h Hybrid car made its debut recently with a 2AZ-FXE 2.4 liter engine found under the hood coupled with an electric motor. The engine puts out 150 PS of power and 187Nm of torque while the electric motor which gets its juices from NiMH batteries makes 143 PS with 270Nm of torque. The two power source is brought together by the e-CVT to give a maximum of 190ps at any time. Interestingly there is an exhaust heat recovery system to shorten engine warming time.

Well other then the usual design cues found on most Toyota today, there is the LED headlapms and tail lamps to differentiate it from other non-hybrid vehicles. Other then this external 'signs' that tells other drivers on the road that you care for mother nature, the rest of the external body panel is very similar to a standard IS250.

But fear not because Lexus has kept the best part of the car exclusively for the interior. (My personal View). To keep both drivers & passengers safe the vehicle is equipped with a Pre-crash Safety System using millimeter-wave radar detects whether driver’s eyes are properly open and also determining direction of driver’s face. In the case the driver loose concentration on the road, the system will alert the driver with a buzzer & apply apply some break force. The Hazard lights will go off if there is a risk of crash & the headrest will be shifted to a proper position to reduce whiplash injury. Click on the thumbnails to view a larger picture.

Next on the list we have Lexus G-link system to grant you access to a concierge that assists you in various ways. If you really crash your car, the system will automatically communicates with the remote Lexus center to contact the police and fire department. The call center will then give you a ring to see if you are OK & if they don't get a feedback from you the ambulance will be dispatch as well. Talking about good service...of course this service will only be complimentary for the first 3 years of your ownership after which a fee will be charge to continue the service.

The area where the gearshift is usually found is occupied by Lexus "Remote Touch" system to operate most of the cars functions. Think BMW's iDrive & Audi's MMI system and you will get the idea.Audiophile will be delighted to know that this car is fitted with a 10 speaker Mark Levinson premium audio system as a standard feature with the option to upgrade to 15 speakers altogether. In conclusion HS250h is a good choice for buyers who find the Prius under equipped or just enjoys the finner things in life. Prices in US are set at $34,200 for the base model and $36,970 for the better equipped Premium version with arrival date around August.Cheers :)